The GSA Election Committee is pleased to announce the results of the 2022-2023 GSA Officer Elections and Referendum vote:
President:
J Coley: 233
(70 abstentions)
Vice President:
Jennifer Schechter: 228
(75 abstentions)
Treasurer:
Joshua Joseph: 119
Ryan Enser: 110
(74 abstentions)
These elected candidates will officially take office on June 1, 2022.
Referendum:
That the student activity fee be MANDATORY for all graduate students: 183
That the student activity fee be VOLUNTARY for all graduate students: 120
Thank you to all of the graduate students who participated in these votes!
Sincerely,
GSA Election Committee
Morgan Redington (EC Co-Chair)
Vaishnavi Hatrote (EC Co-Chair)
Monika Che (EC)
Andrew Brown (EC)
Fahed Ali (EC)
The Candidates
For President
J. Coley
“J for GSA President: Providing Leadership, Experience, and Dedication to all Graduate Students”
It has been the honor to serve as President of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) for the past four academic years. I ran the last four years with hopes of bringing real change to the University at Buffalo. Graduate students, especially TAs/GAs/RAs are the backbone of this university. Despite our important role, our labor is routinely exploited by the UB administration and the institution as a whole. My goal over the past four years has been to be a voice for graduate students. I have fought alongside the UB Living Stipend Movement and the Graduate Student Employee Union to implement livable wages for graduate student workers. I’ve advocated to stop the increase in Broad-Based Fees and to eliminate them for all graduate student workers. As the President of the Graduate Student Association, I’ve played a crucial role in helping keep our organization afloat throughout the on-going pandemic. Under my leadership, GSA continues to be an organization that advocates for the needs of graduate students even during these unprecedented times. In these uncertain times, the Graduate Student Association needs a leader that is not only experienced, but who is dedicated to advocating for the needs of all graduate students. I am qualified, prepared, and eager to serve as your President for an additional academic year. I am honored that you have trusted me to lead this organization over the past four years. I hope that with your support, I can serve as Graduate Student Association President for the 2022-2023 academic year.
For Vice President
Jennifer Schechter
“A tested and excellent student leader with experience and passion for the job.”
Hello! My name is Jen, and I am a PhD Candidate in Linguistics as well as your current Graduate Student Association Vice President. I’ve really loved and appreciated my time with the GSA, from my five years as MDRF Director to these last 8+ months as Vice President. During my time on the GSA E-Board, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to work with our awesome clubs on making sure that all necessary documents (minutes, by-laws) are accurate and consistent, making sure meetings and events run smoothly and helping clubs through any conflict they may have faced. I also work with club leadership to train them on the GSA’s policies and procedures, spending time this year updating the training to make it more easily accessible and more easily completable. I’ve begun working with the Graduate School to create new professional development programming and events for graduate students, and I’ve been creating new connections between the GSA and various on-campus departments that could be excellent resources for graduate students. I want to work with these offices to help them advertise their important resources or services that many of our students don’t know about. I’ve worked with the GSA E-Board to advocate for all graduate students but have also started the conversation about gaps in the leave policies for things like illness, parental leave and bereavement. In addition to my time as GSA Vice President, I have more than 15 years of professional experience in varied management positions, allowing me to gain a thorough understanding of how an organization functions and how important all the pieces of the puzzle are. It has allowed me to attain excellent leadership and communication skills that are invaluable to the position of Vice President, as I work with everyone from club representatives to GSA staff members. This past year has included the hiring of professional and student staff, performance/job evaluations and creating an employee handbook. I am passionate about continuing to support the organization and our amazing staff in providing necessary services to our students. It has been an absolute privilege and honor serving the graduate community here at UB, and I would love the opportunity to continue doing so.
For Treasurer
Joshua Joseph
“Bank on me I’ll treasure your vote! Turning cents into dollars, it all adds up!”
I am running for GSA Treasurer for my fifth term because I thoroughly enjoy the position. Being able to fund graduate students through the GSA has been an honor and a privilege. Through the pandemic, I have been very responsive to emails from graduate students with their financial concerns for submitting paperwork and inquiries about the general GSA financial approval process. Leading the Finance Committee gives me the privilege of hearing about all the events and activities that take part within the graduate student body. I have the experience required for the position regarding cash flow analysis and the availability of funds to meet ongoing operation costs. I am by nature very detail oriented and anticipate being very attentive to GSA forms and files. I have a unique ability to read and interpret standards, legislation and practice from industry, which was required from a previous employer. I can lead activities, take responsibility for correcting problems and be receptive to change. I am enthusiastic about developing organizational strategies to streamline funding matters for areas where grad students need money the most. I think the GSA does great work advocating for grad student needs, and I would greatly enjoy being a part of this organization moving forward post-pandemic.
Ryan Enser
“Vote for advocacy, experience, and service when you vote for Ryan Enser for GSA Treasurer!”
University at Buffalo Graduate students deserve the best student experience, and the Graduate Student Association (GSA) needs leaders who will make that happen! My name is Ryan Enser and I am running for Treasurer of the GSA. I will use my history of advocacy, breadth of experience, and record of service to ensure that UB Graduate students get the best student experience.
Advocacy As an educator both in the United States and overseas and a PhD student, I have a history of advocating for students needs and social justice. As Treasurer, I will use this same approach to advocate for graduate students who face challenges at UB.
Experience I have served as a United States Army Infantryman, worked as an educator domestically and internationally, and earned an MBA in Financial Services. These diverse experiences have equipped me with a valuable breadth of experience which I will use as Treasurer of the GSA.
Service I have an established record of service working in the field education, serving on the Learning and Instruction GSA, and ministering in various churches in-person and online. Service is integral to who I am, and as Treasurer I will serve graduate students.
Vote for me, Ryan Enser, for GSA Treasurer!
Be sure to vote!
Sincerely,
GSA Election Committee
Morgan Redington, Election Committee Co-Chair (Chemistry)
Vaishnavi Hatrote, Election Committee Co-Chair (Chemical & Biological Engineering)
Monika Che (Oral Biology)
Fahed Ali (Epidemiology & Environmental Health)
Andrew Brown (Political Science)
Details concerning election procedure can be found in the 2021-2022 Election Code.